Soldiers Are Returning to Duty in Large Numbers Thanks to "Army+"; the New Digital Procedure Is Gaining Momentum
In just a few days, nearly 500 service members submitted requests to return from unauthorized absence from their units via the “Army+” digital service. Dozens of them have already received approval, and some have actually returned to their units and are undergoing re-enlistment. The Ministry of Defense emphasizes that the system is working and is already yielding tangible results.
This was reported by Oleg Berestovyi, head of the Main Directorate of Information Technology at the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, who explained that the system for returning from unauthorized absence via “Army+” went live on June 13 and immediately received a significant number of requests.
According to him, more than 500 applications were submitted in just the first few days, of which about a hundred have already been approved, while another portion is in the final stages of review. This means that the process is not limited to the formal submission of documents but actually culminates in the return of personnel to their military units. “We have seen interest in the return-to-service system from the very first days after its launch. Since Saturday alone, over 500 requests for reinstatement after civilian service have been submitted, of which 99 have already been approved. There have also been the first successful cases of servicemen actually being assigned to units,” Berestovyi noted.
He added that the first approved cases have already been implemented in practice, specifically in the 39th Separate Marine Brigade, where the first requests for an infantry assault contract were approved. According to him, this confirms that the digital mechanism is not a mere formality but actually shortens the path back to service. Separately, the Ministry of Defense reminds that military personnel who left their units as of June 12 can return by September 20 through “Army+.” In the app, they can select a new unit, specify their area of service, and receive guidance through the enrollment process.
Once the report is approved, the servicemember receives the status “On the Way”—this signifies an official return to service with a five-day deadline to report to the new unit. The ministry emphasizes that digitizing this process is intended to reduce bureaucracy and expedite the return of service members to the defense system. This was announced by Oleg Berestovyi, head of the Main Directorate of Information Technology at the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense.
Ukrainian authorities have verified nearly 19,500 children who were located after being illegally taken by Russia from the temporarily occupied territories. At the same time, Russian documents cite significantly higher figures for the forced displacement of Ukrainian children.
